


pog through the pain

by dwarf_planet



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Attempt at Humor, Everyone bullies Karl, Fluff, Gen, George has a gay panic, Humor, Karl is a coach, Karl’s Core Academy | Carl’s Core ‘Cademy, M/M, Not Beta Read, Storytime, dream only appears for like one scene and he’s not wearing a shirt, getting calluses with coach karl, im so bad at tagging you don’t understand, niki has fingers of steel, rock climbing au, rock climbing au !!, so is Niki, this all based on stuff that happened at the climbing gym i go to, we die like the people of manberg will at the festival this sunday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:08:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27014779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dwarf_planet/pseuds/dwarf_planet
Summary: a sneak peek into the truth behind climbing team
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit, also the rest is all platonic, but it’s only slighty, more but i’m lazy - Relationship
Comments: 20
Kudos: 121





	pog through the pain

Tubbo stared up at the handhold above him, toes barely balanced on the tiny footholds. His hands were both grasped against the small, crimping handholds, and starting to slip.  _ Now or never _ , he thought, straightening his legs and leaping for the handhold. He missed it, feet slipping, and fell back. 

Down, down, down,  _ whoomp _ . He hit the mat, the air being knocked out of him, his pride the only thing that hurt. Tommy stood over him, looking down at the fallen climber and grinning, “Let me show you how it’s done.”

Tubbo pouted, pushing himself off the mat and moving aside to let Tommy take his turn. “Fine, I’ll spot you,” he grumbled, already knowing the taller boy would get it first try.

Sure enough, the blond scrambled up the wall, reaching the handhold Tubbo had struggled on without even fully straightening his legs (“Stupid tall people,” Tubbo muttered bitterly), matching both his hands on the final hold with a proud grin. He edged his way down the wall a bit, then jumped down, landing back on the mat in front of Tubbo, “And  _ that’s _ how it’s done.”

“It’s not my fault I’m short!” Tubbo protested, moving past his friend. “Lemme try again.”

✦✧✦

George and Sapnap congregated at the watering fountain, each clutching a small, plastic cone filled with cold water and enjoying their brief break. The cool liquid soothed their dry throats, parched from flakes of chalk and shouted commands from high on the wall.

A blond man with freckles approached the water fountain, clutching a water bottle that had what appeared to be a smiley face drawn on and bearing no shirt. “Do you mind if I fill up my water bottle?” He asked Sapnap and George politely.

Sapnap stepped back, agreeing amicably, “Of course! Go right ahead.”

“I don’t care. Why would I care?” George managed, sure he was blushing slightly. Hopefully it looked like he was just flushed from the exercise and not thirsting after this shirtless guy. George regretted his words immediately. What an impression.

Luckily, shirtless boy didn’t seem to mind. He laughed, unscrewing his water bottle’s cap and filling it as he asked, “So are you guys part of a summer program or something?”

“No, we’re part of the cli-“ Sapnap started, cut off abruptly by George.

“It’s October,” George deadpanned, eyes widening in mortification. Here this nice, attractive guy was, trying to fill up his water bottle and make conversation and George was having too much of a gay panic to be nice.

Again, the man laughed, bringing his water bottle back from the fountain and screwing the cap back on. “Fair,” He laughed lightly. “I’m Dream.” And with that, he walked away, apparently done with the water fountain and George and Sapnap.

✦✧✦

“Hey, hey, Eret,” Quackity giggled, holding his hands out in front of him like he was about to get two high fives. Eret turned to him, confusion morphing into a grin as he recognized what Quackity was about to do. “Hey, Karl, watch this.”

The coach in question turned to them now, an unamused expression on his face as Quackity giggled manically.

“Getting calluses with Coach Karl,” Eret and Quackity sang in unison, rubbing their own hands together. They then brought their hands to each other’s, smacking them in a double high five and declaring, “Ouch!”

Karl’s unamused expression shifted to mock annoyance, hiding the fondness he clearly held for both of them. “Go boulder.” He ordered, shaking his head at them.

They giggled, celebrating their successful performance and having been able to get the desired reaction from Karl, then went off to boulder as instructed.

✦✧✦

“Nikiiii! I can't do it,” Tubbo whined as he slipped from the wall, the rope attached to his harness and Tommy, his belay partner, catching him.

“Three more tries, Tubbo, then you can try an easier route. I believe in you!” The coach in question encouraged from the ground.

Tubbo pouted but didn’t argue. Niki may have been the most easygoing of the coaches, but she was still exactly that: a coach. He knew better than to argue.

“Come on, Tubbo, my man!” Tommy chimed in from his place beside Niki, cheering his friend on.

Tubbo huffed, taking in the route and how much farther he had to go. Then, grasping more firmly onto the handhold he was loosely gripping, he pulled himself towards the wall. He grumbled under his breath then called down, “Climbing!”

“Climb on!” Tommy echoed.

Tubbo started climbing again as soon as the command hit his ears, listening to Niki’s advice as he scaled the wall.

It took two more tries, but Tubbo did manage to complete the route.

“See, I knew you could do it,” Niki smiled at him once he touched down.

Tommy, already detaching himself from the belay device, declared with a grin, “My turn!”

✦✧✦

“Time for core,” Karl announced, going around and gathering the scattered climbing team members. “Head upstairs.”

A couple gave snarky remarks back, as was in their nature, but they all made their way upstairs like they were supposed to.

Karl came upstairs last, trailing behind Thunder and Purpled, who were the last climbers he’d had to round up.

“Alright, it’s time for core. If you do good, maybe I’ll give you story time at the end.”

Excited shouts of “Story time!” and “Behave, guys” rose up from the climbers scattered on the mats around Karl.

“Karl, I think you should let Niki choose what we do for core this time,” George tried, knowing Niki would go easier on them.

Karl shook his head. “Nope, it’s called Karl’s Core Academy for a reason.”

Giggles bubbled up, and Quackity exclaimed, “Karl’s Core ‘Cademy!”

“Karl with a C,” Tommy added, laughing loudly as the aforementioned coach’s face shifted from happily easygoing and challengingly teasing to downright annoyed.

“Tommy, no, you’re gonna make it harder for us!” Tubbo giggled nervously, knowing it was too late to stop his friend. “Karl, I think the version with a K is superior.” The bee-loving boy turned to flattery, hoping that would remedy Tommy’s dumbassery.

“Just give me 25 side crunches. 25 on both sides!” Karl ordered, watching everyone shift themselves into position with scattered groans.

“We’re never even gonna use this!” Purpled whined from his spot on the ground where he most certainly was not doing side crunches.

“You need core for climbing!” Karl argued, turning to his fellow coach. “Right, Niki?”

“I don’t. I have fingers of steel.”

✦✧✦

At the end of Karl’s Core Academy (or Carl’s Core ‘Cademy, whatever), Karl must’ve deemed they’d done a good enough job because he said, “Okay, what story do you guys want? Give me questions.”

“Okay, um. What’s your earliest memory?” Tubbo jumps to ask, proudly grinning inwardly at the fact no one immediately jumps to comment on how dumb of a question that is.

“My earliest memory?” Karl waits for an affirmation, then hums thoughtfully. “Probably playing with my childhood cat.”

“You have a cat?” Tommy inquires.

“I did. That one’s dead,” He speaks bluntly, moving on before anyone could so much as think to be sympathetic. “But I do have other cats now.”

“Uhhh, what’s your most vivid memory?” Tubbo asked after a moment, seeing as no one else apparently had any questions.

“Probably one from a couple years ago, when I was climbing and I was so close to the top but then I fell and the rope swung and I slammed against the wall and the holds on it.”

“I was gonna ask if you were okay, but then I realized that, A, it was a long time ago and, B, I don’t care,” Tommy said easily, ignoring Karl’s offended huff.

Tubbo hummed thoughtfully before asking another question, “What’s your fondest memory?”

“You’re asking a lot about memories,” Wilbur spoke up from the corner.

Tubbo shrugged, going quiet and letting Karl answer, “I dunno. Something here, probably.”

“Awww, Karl, you do love us!” Sapnap proclaimed, grinning dumbly.

“Whatever. Next question?”

“Have you ever had a girlfriend?” Tommy asked, barking a laugh at Karl’s negatory reply.

“Have you ever dated anyone?” George piped up from where he was leaning on Sapnap, clearly tired from climbing but happy.

“Maybe. And we’ll leave it at that! Alright, guys, time to go. Have a good rest of your week.”

**Author's Note:**

> please i’m begging  
> leave a comment and kudos if you enjoyed  
> if you do maybe i’ll write more 👀


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